Though the game has lost its subtitle ‘Deadly descents’ the extreme theme still seems to be going strong. Though a lot of the stunts are little bit unrealistic I must admit that the thought of grinding a board over a power line does excite me, as does the prospect of performing tricks by off of the side of a moving helicopter. From what we have seen and played so far the theme of helicopter runs very strongly though this trailer so I expect we will be seeing a lot more chopper action on the slopes this time.

Something which also caught my eye in the trailer was the night levels. Glowing lights on the fingertips of the boarder illuminate the slopes around you giving these levels a unique rave look. I can imagine these levels would be great played with the lights turned down low. The trailer also shows players being able to rewind the last few seconds of gameplay and try again, allowing them to avoid crashing out. This time reversal is a clever feature, but one which I feel could be controversial amongst some fans.

One of the things I always loved about the SSX games were their soundtracks which always consisted of a unique mix of everything from indie, to rock and hip-hop. Its nice to have a good variety of tunes to throw yourself down a mountain too, and if this trailer is anything to go by we will not be disappointed.

So on to our own journey down the virtual mountain. The first thing we noticed upon sitting down to the new SSX was the impressive attention to detail that had been payed to the new slopes. It is easy when presented with vibrant and impressive trailer to doubt that the final game will live up to the promises, but I can assure you that with the graphics of new SSX you will not be disappointed. I was also pleased to find that though the slopes and tricks had been updated to provide new challenges the gameplay did not feel at all alien. The controls felt sharper and yet familiar making this game a good addition to the SSX family.

The level we played followed a simple time trial format, with tricks and boosts helping you to set the fastest time to the bottom of the run. In true SSX style the more awesome the trick the more boost you earn and with boosts creating impact ripples through the snow the better your tricks the faster your time and the more epic you feel. As our video coverage shows ghost players allow you to race your friends or yourself, charting your progress to help you beat your high score. This was only a taster of the full game, and we will be interested to see how the other mode will play on full release.

Though only one level appeared to be playable at the expo we also accidentally got a glimpse at the games menu system, Oops. Here we were presented with a 3d globe which we could rotate in order to browse and select from the most extreme slopes on planet. This was a nice touch as it added a sense of context to the game and gave a great visual representation of your progress.

Though overall my first impression of SSX was very good the first showing of the game was not without its glitches. At one point my character started spasming uncontrollably, which despite adding a considerable amount of points to my score did not really add much to the gameplay. Still, this was a very early version of the game so lets hope they work out the kinks before the release this March.

Until next time,

24

x

SSX
02/03/2012
EA Sports
www.ea.com/ssx

So this year at Eurogamer we got our first chance to get hands on with the PS Vita. What were everyones first impressions?

Garvaos: As I wasn’t the biggest fan of the PSP I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by the Vita. After sitting through the developer session and getting some hands on time with the console I was pretty impressed as all the features manage to work well together to make for some great gameplay on the move.

RandomMan: I was surprised with how well the PS Vita turned out. Before the expo I thought not another Sony release, yet another console they have built up with no future, but alas I was so wrong it hurts me. Its now on the top of my buy list.

24: I was also very impressed. When it was announced I was unsure of the PS Vita as I did not think it would be a large enough move on from the PSP, but after seeing it in action my opinion has changed drastically. I definitely wouldn’t say no to one now!

Little Big Planet making good use of the touch screens

The PS Vita offers several new exciting features which set it apart from its predecessor the PSP. Which of these features impressed you the most? 

Garvaos: I was most impressed with the augmented reality. I am a big fan of this feature on the 3DS and the Vita seems to take it to the next level. The 3DS relies on AR cards for augmented reality to work, whereas the Vita on the other hand doesn’t rely on cards. Instead it is sophisticated enough to read and capture its surroundings and then add the characters and game elements into the environment without faffing about with bits of cardboard. The developer session we attended also demonstrated that a lot more games will be using the augmented reality function, which I was pleased to hear as I think it is something that the 3DS has often neglected.

24: Though the augmented reality was outstanding, for me the feature which impressed me the most was the combination of both front and rear touch screens. Before seeing the console in action I did not really understand the use of this feature, however seeing them used in Little Big Planet to control elements of the environment has left me really excited. Having both a rear and front touch screen allowed players to physically push elements of the level (such as blocks) forward and back, allowing them to solve puzzles and create steps to reach new areas of the levels. Using the two touch screens together made the levels truly interactive and gave an extra dimension to the game.

RandomMan: I was very impressed the combination of the front and rear touch screen, but also with the motion gyros as they allow you to do more than any previous hand held console. During my time with the Vita I played a game that allowed me to use all of these augmentations at once. It showed me just how much skill is required to play games using these new features and that you must use more dexterity then you normally would playing with other consoles. With all of these systems working as one in a single game, you can truly see how advanced the Vita is.

Reality Fighters showcases augmented reality on the Vita

We all got the chance to play some of the games due for release on the PS Vita. Which game did you play and what did you like/dislike about it? 

Garvaos: At Eurogamer we didn’t really have the chance to choose the game we wanted to play, instead we drew cards and whatever game was on the card you played. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on Wipeout 2048. Being a Wipeout fan since the PS1 I was more than happy with this. I played a couple of tracks, first of which using the front and rear touch pads to accelerate and fire weapons and gyros to steer. The control set up worked really well, I was especially impressed with the steering because in the past I have found steering with gyros on other consoles not that responsive. The second time round I switched to more traditional controls, using right bumper to accelerate, X for weapons and the left joystick to steer. This felt like the Wipeout I fell in love with back on the PS1. Graphically the game also looked amazing. As 2048 is set at the creation of the sport the setting looked a little like Steam-Punk meets Tron, which made for some fantastic looking tracks. The weapons are your standard Wipeout affair with rockets, machine guns and shields. If your new comer to Wipeout I would describe it as futuristic Mario Kart on speed, a great title for both newcomers and fans alike.

RandomMan: I randomly picked and played Little Deviants, a game that I had heard very little about. I found out that this is four different games in one, with each game requiring you to use different aspects of the PS Vita unique gaming system. For example, one game requires you to use the motion gyros and the front touch screen to look for portals and shoot some Little Deviants, another uses the rear touch screen to move a ball around to collect coins, and so on. I was extremely impressed with the unique way you play this game, but I did find it difficult to play to start with. It took me a while to get used to the controls and the motion gyros, but once I did get used to them the game was a lot of fun. The amount of concentration required for this game made it very immersive, however I was playing this game on a level and stationary surface. If I was playing this on a train, bus or car, I honestly believe this game would be very difficult to play. No matter how well you can maneuver with the front and back touch screen, the motion gyro system would probably just make you jump around too much. I enjoyed playing the game, but I feel a bit like Little Deviants was made just to show off the Vita’s new gaming system unlike some of the other games on show.

24: I was lucky enough to be able to play one of my favorite titles on offer for the Vita, Uncharted Golden Abyss. I was very impressed with the look of the game on the Vita. With the large high quality screen and the impressive capabilities of the Vita the game looked and played like a miniature version of the PS3 game. The game also made use of the PS Vitas new touch and motion capabilities. Though the touch and motion aspects made some elements of the game such as climbing and swinging out to ledges more enjoyable it did make the combat in the game feel a little disjointed. The main problem with the combat was that in order to shoot an enemy you needed to use the traditional shooting buttons (L to aim R to fire) but if you wanted to melee attack you had to use the touch screen.  Switching from tactical shooting to madly tapping the screen not only felt quite unnatural but also had the added bonus of looking quite frankly ridiculous. This would not be one to play on a train. Overall the game was very good, but given the choice I would pick a button melee attack over touch any day.

Wipeout 2048 showcased at Eurogamer this year

Now for the big question. Now that we have had the opportunity to try out both which would you be most likely to buy, the PS Vita or the Nintendo 3DS?

RandomMan: Before getting my hands on the PS Vita I would have chosen the 3DS without question, but after the expo I would say the Vita is taking the front running. With the 3DS you have the amazing 3D graphics and street pass, but the Vita has so much more. It has graphics that rivals the PS3, plus you have an instant messaging service that rivals any other console. I also have a PS3 so with the links to PSN I would be able to do so much more with the Vita then I would with a 3DS. Sony has done something that we previously thought was not possible and had made the PS Vita the pinnacle of gaming at this moment.

Garvaos: As I own a 3DS I am in two minds about this question. There is no doubt that the Vita is far superior to the 3DS with more features and gameplay elements, and the Vita will more than likely have its fair share of triple A titles that will rival the Nintendo hand held. However looking at them side by side I feel that the 3DS is more of a true portable console. The games that the 3DS supports you can simply pick up and play while you are on the move, whereas I see the Vita supporting more games that need at least a good hour of gameplay before you come to a save point. This takes away from the pick up and play element which is so important with a hand held console. The next generation portable console war is just beginning, will the 3DS stealing the Monster Hunter franchise from PlayStation’s grasp be enough? Only time will tell.

24: After my experiences at the expo for me it would have to be the PS Vita. The impressive quality of the screen and the graphics made me feel like the Vita was allowing me PS3 quality gaming on the move and to me the range of titles the console boasts is beyond compare. In addition to this the new front and rear touch screens added an extra dimension to puzzle and platform games such as Little Big Planet making the gameplay on the whole feel truly unique. As for 3D and augmented reality after viewing both consoles in action I now see that the Vita offers much innovative ways in which to use this technology. As with many things in life its not what you’ve got its how you use it, and my does the Vita know how to use it.

Uncharted makes the most of the impressive graphics capabilities

Still want to know more about the PS Vita? Then check out our coverage of the PS Vita Developer session for more info.

Until Next Time,

24

x

Greedy Bankers

Greedy Bankers is a highly addictive game available for the iPhone and iPad.The aim of the game is to match together gems of the same color to form larger gems and then tap them to add them to your total. Each level has a set amount of cash which you must claim, and once you achieve the set goal the timer resets and a harder goal is set. As the levels progress you will face new challenges such as fixed blocks and even a robber in the vault who is determined to steal your gems and leave you bankrupt. In the single player mode you are playing against the clock for a high score, but if you are playing on an iPad you can compete with another player in a seriously addictive multiplayer battle. I had the opportunity to try this multiplayer mode at Eurogamer and I have to say that though this game is simple in concept, for me it was the most addictive multiplayer Indie game offered this year. Oh and the development team, just so you know, really nice guys.

Available now from the iTunes store: £1.49
www.greedy-bankers.com
Alistair Aitcheson

Molecat Twist

Now for a game which wins my award for most frustrating and yet compelling game of the expo, Molecat Twist. In this refreshingly different puzzle game you must guide a procession of marching Molecats through a maze of rotating tiles towards their goal. The Molecats behave similarly to Lemmings, marching blindly forwards leaving their collective fate entirely in your hands. In order to guide your Molecat procession towards their goal you must use a mixture of colored levers and rotating squares to quite literally turn their world upside down, connecting up tunnels and blocking off danger as you twist. This may seem like a simple concept, but factor in keys, switches, traps, monsters, non-rotating tiles and a whole army of Molecats which need saving and you have yourself a pretty decent game. Molecat Twist took some time to get used to, but once we had mastered the basics we were hooked. The demo is free to try online, so what are you waiting for?

Try the free demo now!
www.molecats.com
Stas Gailunas

Snuggle Truck

Also known as Smuggle Truck this brilliantly simple physics based mini game involves keeping a number of small fluffy animals in the back of a truck whilst driving as fast as possible. Negotiate Jumps obstacles and explosives all whilst keeping your urm…precious cargo intact. We played at the expo on a PC using a keyboard but it is also available on the iPhone and is in my opinion better with the addition of touch and tilt controls. The simplicity of this game coupled by the cartoon humor of the graphics makes this my new favorite game for those 5 minute game sessions between tube stations. Snuggle truck has a large range of levels from easy to extreme as well as a refreshingly intuitive level creator. This feature allows you to create and then share your own levels in the level portal where other users can play and rate your creations. Let the virtual fur fly!

Available now from the iTunes store: £1.49
www.snuggletruck.com
Owlchemy Labs

Blocks That matter

In Blocks That Matter you play as a Tetrobot, which is a small cube with a drill and legs which is on a quest to rescue its creators game developers Alexey and Markus. As a Tetrobot you have the ability to drill through other blocks which allows you to pick them up and re-use them later in the level. As you journey through this quaintly retro looking world, you will encounter a wide variety of blocks including blocks made of wood, stone, ice and even explosives all of which can be useful to you on your quest. Different blocks have different properties and the block supply is not unlimited so you must use the blocks you find wisely in order to progress through the levels. There are currently 40+ levels available to play and though our time with the game at the expo was limited, from what we did see was the building blocks of a really good game. If you like idea of a challenging puzzle platform game fusion in which you get to play as what is to all intensive purposes a washing machine on legs, then this one is for you.

Available now on Steam: £3.99
www.swingswingsubmarine.com
Swing Swing Submarine

Really Big Sky

Really Big Sky is a fast twin analogue shooter set in the vast colorful expanse that is space. A bit like a mix between retro classic Space Invaders and modern arcade hit Geometry Wars, in this side scrolling firework display of a game aliens are attacking your planet and you are not giving it up easily. The theme of the game is best explained by the tag line, They’ve given you a really splendid space ship, they’re not expecting it back. In this epic battle for the planet you not only blast objects out of the way but you are also able to drill through objects in your path for added destruction. There are many game modes to choose from including Classic, Boss Rush, Arcade, Pacifism, Countdown, Marathon and if you are feeling particularly brave Nightmare Mode. As well as this impressive selection of single player modes the game also supports up to 4 player co-op multiplayer modes. Play Really Big Sky and you can expect bright lights, shiny spaceships and very fast gameplay. Ready to blast some aliens in the face and get your planet back? I sure am.

Boss Baddie Studios: £4.95
www.bossbaddie.co.uk/bigsky

So thats it for the Eurogamer Indie Arcade round up this year. There were so many great titles on show it would have been impossible to have showcased everything, but I hope this summery of my favorites encourages you to go and take a look at more of the great games being developed by Indie developers this year.

Until Next time

24

x

All Prices correct as of October 2011

Now when one console developer does it, eventually all of them are going to jump onto the band wagon. This is where PlayStation Move and Microsoft’s Kinect come in. They have been a long time in development, but about christmas time this year, you are going to experience what Microsoft and Sony have to offer. Myself and GuitarGirl24 on the other hand got a sneak preview of what Microsoft’s Kinect has to offer.

In an underground room somewhere in Covent Garden in London, we both entered into what Microsoft thought was an ideal Kinect Paradise. There was 3 rooms in this underground area. Each room was decked to to look like a pretty swanky living room. The first thing we noticed, is that the fabricated living room was pretty huge. leaving plenty of space for the player to play Kinect. So all of you who live in box rooms in your parents house 0r student halls already have a bit of a problem.

Once we entered the room we were straight into the experience where we played Kinect Adventure, this game was made up of three mini games which we played. The first was a rafting game where we both had to control a rubber raft as it cascaded down some rapids, both leaning from side to side (preferably in unison) we had to direct the raft through gates to score points, there was also places where you had to jump together to collect coins, which again added to your final score. It took us a while but we finally got the gist of it. If I were to judge Kinect solely on this game alone I would say it was pretty responsive.

The other 2 games in Kinect adventures were a jump and duck corse where myself and 24 were head to head, simple having to duck, jump and weave around obstacles. In this game I started to find Kinect a little less responsive but still quite fun. Then there was the last game of Kinect adventure where you had to hit balls against a wall of blocks to core points, you could either kick, slap or even head but the balls. This was probably the most fun game from Kinect Adventures, even if 24 almost knocked me out while trying to punch the ball on the screen.

We then played Kinect Race. This was a Mario Kart type game where you held an imaginary steering wheel to drive your car. You could lean, to the side to drift around corners and thrust your arms forward to boost. This was a very fun racing game which I really enjoyed. But again, I found Kinect a little bit un responsive at times when I tried to boost, sometimes not even recognised that I thrust my arms in an extravagant fashion to make the car boost, this was a little frustrating at times, but the game was fun when it responded.

We then played a dancing game, Dance Central for Kinect. I tell you know is flipping difficult, and tiring. The idea of this game is to mirror what the dancers are doing on the screen sounds simple, but on medium mode it was very hard to keep up with all the crazy moves that they were doing, be it an air guitar, a hip hop version of a spotty dog or the Macarena sped up 50 fold the game proved to me further that I can’t dance at all. I wonder if they expect you to spin on your head in expert mode?

Finally I got to play some Kinect Spotrs. Very much like Wii sports but of corse without the Wii-mote. I decided to do hurdle to round off our time with Kinect. Again the Kinect camera itself was a bit laggy off the get go, I would start running and after about half a second my avatar would then start running. The idea here was to jump hurdles as soon as they go green. Kinect picked up my jumps pretty well (luckily) and I managed to finish the race in first. I was then able to wave to the crowd which I thought was a nice touch. As Kinect could pick up all my arm movements I tried semaphore instead. No idea what I said mind but hey.

Kinect is a nice idea that still needs tweaking. Sure is can pick up your movements ok but the lag issue I thought was a bit of a problem, and even though it could pick up your arm movements, it didn’t pick up the movements of my fingers, so I couldn’t do the rock devil horns after I won the hurdles, but hey you can’t have everything.

Now for your viewing pleasure I present to you a Video that GuitarGirl24 put together of our hands on with Kinect, enjoy!

Kinect comes out for the XBox 360 this November.

Garv

After playing the Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days demo though, I have an inkling to try my hand at the first game again, because the demo for the second installment in the Kane and Lynch series was, how should I put it?…Awesome!

You start off in a restaurant in Shanghai, you play as Lynch and your sitting down to a nice meal with Kane when all of a sudden the police come in and raid the place, your job now is to shoot your way through the restaurant, around back alleys and onto the streets of Shanghai to escape the fuzz. Sounds simple enough, but, with like most 3rd person shooters these days, it’s about duck, cover shoot and move on.

What I really do love about this game already is that it is all done from the point of view of a handy cam. All the graphics and game play focus on you following Kane and Lynch through the back streets and rooftops of Shanghai. Of corse you are still plating the game as Kane or Lynch and controlling them, its just the fact that it is all captured as if it was a rubbishy quality film on YouTube and I love it. It astounds me how much attention to detail lo-interactive have put into the visuals to make them look like low quality handy cam film. This also adds to the atmosphere a lot as it really does feel nitty, gritty and some what seedy. Kane and Lynch dead men feels like Viva Pinata compared to Dog Days, there was one bit in the demo where I shot a police man point-blank in the face with a shot-gun and a pixel blur came up over his head, as if they did censor the movie for you tube. The atmosphere of the game for me is fantastic.

In some ways this game reminds of  what the first Max Payne game would look like if it was originally released on the 360, and the game play is simple but oh so effective, run and gun has always been effective in FPS games and now developers have really nailed down this aspect and a lot more in the 3rd person shooter genre, and I think I am going to be paying a lot more attention to 3rd person shooters more from now on.

For me Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days is a great game to be looking out for, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the full game when it goes out on August 20th for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

Garv

Anyone who logged on last week will know that my last contribution was a rather excited outburst giving you a sneaky look at the newest Guitar hero controller. I will not lie. I will always be a guitar hero girl. I was hooked at Gh3 and never looked back. I do however acknowledge that there are a lot of Rockband aficionado’s out there and it simply wouldn’t be fair to talk about the new guitar hero hardware without also having a nosey at the newest offering from the Rockband music room. I am usually a Gh girl through and through, but believe me when I say that this time the guys at Rockband really have turned it up to 11…

For a while now there have been rumors of a complete Rockband instrument overhaul, but I must admit I was initially skeptical. On completion of the online demo, Greenday Rockband showed a small but significant teaser in the form of a keyboard symbol. At this time it was easy to assume that this would be largest change made to rockband this year, however after what we have now seen at E3 it is clear that the keyboard was merely the start of the Rockband re-design.

With this I am calling all Rockband Guitarists, Drummers, Vocalists and Keyboardists to listen up and listen good! In honor of E3 week here is my very special (and perhaps slightly sketchy) summery of some of the features the new rock band hardware. Clear out your virtual music rooms, its time for an overhaul.

Keyboard
I am of course obliged to start with the newest member in the Rockband family, the keyboard. For a while now we have pondered over the appearance of the new keyboard controller, but we need ponder no more because here it is.

Is it a Keyboard or a Keytar?

Looking like a cross between a keyboard and a keytar the Rockband keyboard seems, well kind of unsurprising really. More interesting perhaps is the way the keyboard appears on screen. From what we have seen so far the keybord appears on screen in a similar way to the guitar and drums, but with a twist. Due to the sheer number of notes, instead of having a static runway strip the on screen instructions for the keybord will scroll from left to right allowing players to see only three colored sections of notes at a time. Arrows will indicate when the runway is about to move from left to right, and as the songs get more complicated the movements will become faster and more frequent.

A little fuzzy granted, but you get the idea

In another interesting twist it seems that there is going to be the possibly of using a small patching unit to connect a normal keyboard so that it can be used within the game. Though the unit itself will obviously cost money the idea of being able to use your existing instruments is very creative, and will more importantly save space. Space which you could use to buy…say maybe a new guitar…

Pro-Guitar
This brings me conveniently onto the new Pro-mode Guitars. Not only because in website team band sessions the guitar is often the most popular instrument, but also because out of the classic instrument set it is the guitar which has had the most attention.

If this one isn't real enough for you...

At this years E3 two new models of virtual guitar have been unveiled, both more advanced and awe inspiring than ever before. The first, the ‘Mustang pro’ guitar shown seems to be kind of a half way house between a classic Rockband controller and a real guitar. Though this guitar still has buttons along the frets, it has ditched the strum bar completely and replaced it with a set of 6 playable strings. I should also take the opportunity to now mention that as well as using these new controllers to play pro Guitar, it is also possible to use them to play Pro Bass. This means that Bass players will not be left out of the instrument based excitement, bless their cotton socks. Back to the topic of the Guitar itself  I may be a Gh girl at heart, but even I will admit this is exciting. Though this new controller is massively more advanced than anything we have seen before, it could be easily argued that impressive though it may be this is still not a true representation of a real guitar. To start with the strings are fixed to the body and do not continue up the neck, and further to this it only has 17 frets as opposed to the standard 22. This doesn’t really bother me, but if you are the type to be disappointed by this lack of realism don’t worry. Enter the second pro guitar.

...then how about this one

Check out this little beauty. In addition to the upgraded standard guitar Rockband were also seen showcasing a fully game compatible Fender Squire stratocaster guitar. Unlike the standard Pro guitar this nifty bit of kit has a full fretboard and fully functional strings. If you like the idea of realistic rocking out this one is for you, I for one doubt it will ever get more real than this.

At first glance it is easy to get distracted by the impressive good looks of these guitars, but do not let image distract you from the bigger picture. The effect they will have on the gameplay runs far deeper than a set of strings and a shiny scratch plate. It is clear that with the stunning level of detail and realism that has gone into creating these new guitars the aim of this mode is no longer to simply play hit songs and beat the games career mode. No, to the guys at Rockband its clearly not about this anymore. Pro mode claims to teach you the basics of how to play a real guitar, using real chord formations and finger placements to teach you as you play. Because the guitar has so many buttons the classic on screen system no longer works. In the new on screen layout instead of simply having 5 colored lanes representing varying individual notes, we now have 6 lanes each representing a string. In addition to the colors each note you are asked to play now has a tiny number above it corresponding to the fret you are supposed to play the note on. A bit complicated no? Anyone good at maths? In theory by playing pro mode guitar you are supposed to be able to transfer the skills you learn in the game onto a real guitar and thus become a guitarist. Though this is undeniably an impressive use technology, I am starting to worry that Rockband is moving a little too far away from the original point of the game.

Not really related to what I am saying I know but we all like more pictures of guitars

I play games to have fun and unwind. If I wanted to learn to actually play the guitar I may as well spend my money on my dream guitar, learn to play it from tab and have the rest of the Plus-Xp team stand behind me holding up cardboard stars and occasionally throwing glitter at me to mark my progress. Ok so this may sound a little bit silly but my point remains the same. So far the rrp of these new guitars has not been mentioned but I am assuming that they will not come cheap. Then even if the price is not enough to put you off I am betting that the complexity of the new on screen instructions in conjunction with the sheer number of buttons will leave many players more frustrated than entertained. I hate to be pessimistic about all of this as new guitars are very aspirational and exciting, however the way I see it a lot of the appeal of Rockband is that you can play it with friends and share the experience. In all honesty behind all of the excitement and Guitar lust I fear that to many players the new guitars run the risk of being more off putting than inspiring, and in a game originally designed to be played together this is not necessarily a good thing.

I still want a go one one though…I can’t help it… its just so epic… let… me… at… it…

Drums
Now to the drum kit. As an enthusiastic (and thats putting it mildly) Rockband drummer I was pleased to see that the Drum Kit has also had a Makeover. In addition to the 4 classic drum pads three new symbols have been added to the kit, making it more true to life and just generally more shiny.

Shiny, Shiny

The three new symbols aim to mimic the set up of a Standard basic rock kit by adding a high hat, plus crash and ride symbols to the existing three toms and snare we are all familiar with. Though I expect the game will continue to be, well lets just say ‘creative’ with which pad makes which sound, these new symbols will almost certainly make the drumming experience more realistic, more challenging and therefore more fun. Oh and I should also say that from what I have seen so far it looks like these symbols will be available to buy as an add on to an existing kit saving us money and effort. Nice.

Vocals
Not much to say here I’m afraid. I suppose there is a limited amount you can do with a microphone really… Perhaps the singers will just wear a hat and feel special that way, it may work. Not to leave the vocals out completely I will mention the fact that Rockband three will be including multiple harmonies Harmonies as seen in the beetles Rockband. I suppose this is nothing very new and exciting, but its all I have.

Now thats what I call full band play baby!

Thats it really, everything I know about the new rockband kit in one neat little post plus my added musings on the guitar. Ok, so perhaps the post wasn’t that little, but just one more quick footnote to finish. I wouldn’t be surprised if after reading this some of you find yourselves peering hopelessly into your tragically empty wallets with a mixed look of both great excitement and vague dismay on your faces. It would after all be nieve to imagine that these sorts of kit upgrades would come cheap, however there is hope for all you skint little guys. As well as showcasing all of this new kit the guys at Rockband have also made it very clear that the old instruments will still be compatible with the Rockband three content. You won’t be able to play pro mode with your old instruments, but you will still be able to play all of the same songs in the older, much more familiar Rockband format. There have also been whisperings form the team about new content for the original instruments, meaning that if you prefer your old controllers you wont be left out.

Thats really it now…No more footnotes…I want to buy more plastic guitars…

Until next time,

GuitarGirl24
x

Who wants new instruments?

]]> http://www.plusxp.com/2010/06/rockband-three/feed/ 0 http://www.plusxp.com/2010/06/guitar-hero-warriors-of-rock/ http://www.plusxp.com/2010/06/guitar-hero-warriors-of-rock/#comments Thu, 10 Jun 2010 20:46:16 +0000 GuitarGirl24 http://plusxp.com/?p=3803 A pre-post post

I had no plans to write anything tonight. If anything I was ready for a quiet night in with my duvet and a good dvd…AND THEN I SAW THIS….

Its just so shiny....

Yes people, its official. I returned to the country today to find that the internet has been littered with images of a guitar made of what can only be described as the heaviest of heavy metal. Well actually no, its still plastic, but you see what I mean. Looking like some sort of axe of the gods, it not only has an entirely interchangeable body but also claims to be the biggest controller yet. Oh and they have removed all of the extra stuff like the slide bar and unnecessary buttons, a decision which wins my instant approval. In my opinion the bigger and scarier they make the controllers the better the game and I in all honesty can’t wait to get my hands on one.

Look! Interchangeable bodies

Apart from tempting us with leaked images of a snazzy new axe the guys down at GH headquarters have remained relatively quite about their new release. So far only 2 of the 90 new songs promised seem confirmed, and though there have been rumors of new modes no official details seem to have been given as yet. Though the lack of solid information is quite evident my excitement at these new images is no less intense. It is obvious from the title, trailers and new controller that this game is taking the guitar hero series back to its almost comical rock/heavy metal roots and I am very hopeful that a lot more will be reviled about this title at E3 next week. Until then a final treat for you all. After a bit of light digging I have been able to turn up a pretty cool trailer. Being a guitar hero geek I watched this and got so excited I almost nerdgasmed, because of this I think everyone else should watch it too.

Guitar Hero characters turning into heavy metal beasts? I’ll take some of that…to go…with fries…I should eat something…its all just too much…

Until next time,

GuitarGirl24

x

Guitar Hero Warriors of rock is set for release in September 2010. Until then watch this space.

Resident Evil started the whole craze off with the umbrella corporation going a bit hey wire and unleashing an uber virus onto the world, Bioshock came along some time after with a half sane kind of zombie type human, wanting to splice people up and bleed them dry of a substance called ADAM. There has also been other games such as Dead Rising, which was just a mall full of zombies and psychopaths.

So zombies have got a large appeal over the years. But the game that took zombie slaying to the next level was Left 4 Dead. This game was mainly  a multiplayer based kill fest, but this time the zombies weren’t the slow walking vacant stare type. They were more the, we are going to run and scream in packs of about 200 and then rip any human to shreds type. This type of Zombie game play, gave players a new sence of urgency, a sence of insecurity and a sence of what the hell is going to be screaming round the next corner? Seeing as the game had a unique selling point of random enemy placement, meaning that if you were to go through the same level again, the zombies would be placed differently on the level. So that corridor you thought was deserted, next time could have a pack of zombies ready to eat your face.

But enough about the past. Lets look to the future and see what Left 4 Dead 2 has to offer the zombie slaying public. Well I can tell you now that the new game will feature five new campaign levels. These levels are bigger in size than the last game, meaning more hordes of zombies for the masses. Each of these levels can again be played in the other multiplayer modes, which are Co-op, Versus, and Survival mode. There has also been a new multiplayer mode mentioned but no confirmation on what said game mode is yet.

Three of the five new campaign levels have been announced so far. These campaign levels are “The Parish” set in the New Orleans’ French Quarter, “Swamp Fever” which is set in a murky swamp type area, surprisingly and “Dark Carnival” which sounds pretty awesome to me, The whole idea of a creepy carnival to kill zombies in sounds great.

With these new levels there will be some new boss characters as well. We have had 3 announced so far: “The Charger” which is the rugby/american football player of the zombie race. This leviathan charges into anyone or thing in its way. “The Spitter” who has a nasty habit of spitting mutated stomach acid on the floor, which then quickly turns into a pool the murky green acid, so running and gunning is good here as you don’t really want to fall into that. The 3rd boss type zombie to be announced is The Jocky, this git of a zombie apparently attacks its prey from behind, grabbing his/her head and then tries to gain control of its new prey. So I would be very careful of these guys, especially if your still on the look out for Boomers, Hunters, Tanks, Witches and Smokers.

From bottom left going clockwise: Charger, Jocky, Spitter

In Left 4 Dead 2, there are four new characters for you to pick from who are: Nick, a run of the mill slick con man, he is one of these guys who likes expensive suits and the rich life style. Rochelle, Left 4 Dead 2’s answer to Zoey, the only woman of the group who is a journalist…nice.  Coach, an ex high school football coach turned health teacher who is pushing 40, and last but not least, Ellis who appears to be the ‘Stiffler’ of the gang. A high school student who is loud-mouthed and likes his beer.

From left to right: Nick, Rochelle, Coach, Ellis

I bet your thinking, now that I have gone though enemies and playable characters, what about the all important weapons new to Left 4 Dead 2? Well some of you ‘bloody violence’ types out there will be pleased to know that Left 4 Dead 2 has taken melee combat into consideration with a whole host of melee weapons. Such as a Baseball Bat, Cricket Bat, Crow Bar, Electric Guitar, Fire Axe, Frying Pan, Katana, Machete, Police Baton and the all important Chainsaw. Thats a massive 10 new melee weapons to get you zombie hacking hands on.

Right so after all that info who is up for some Zombie slaying? Because I sure as hell am.

Left 4 Dead 2 is coming out on the 20th of November for Xbox 360 and PC. Look out for our hands on coverage of the game at Eurogamer next month.

Garv!

The concept – you are some kind of lab experiment gone AWOL, named Alex, and you don’t know what’s going on – only that you have some godly powers and people want to catch you. Add in the fact that the city is getting overrun with zombie-like infected creatures and we have good basis. The idea is that you can shape shift in various ways, and absorb DNA from anyone in the city to gain powers and memories, shaping your character into an unstoppable beast with superhuman powers.

Sounds awesome doesnt it? I’ve always thought – I’d love a free roaming 3rd person action game and here it is, staring me in the face, so why am I not more excited? Its a fear of disappointment. The reasons for this arent totally unfounded, as I have seen, time and again, games companies making claims they cannot live up to.  So, here are my major concerns:

• Taking DNA from *anyone*. From a gamers point of view, this gives the impression of limitless customisation and powers – I see myself absorbing person after person getting power after power, allowing me to create a wolverine-tpye character whose near invincible with claws, an Iceman-esque character surfing around on pillars of ice, or blasting through enemies with laser eyes. But we have two possible issues here, Either:1) There wont be such a big range as they make out – often “limitless” combinations are more along the lines of “limitless, but theyre all virtually the same” – would you like green claws or red ones, sir? Or getting different length claws, or simply different powers that all do the same thing, just with different appearance.or

  2) There will be a huge range of powers, but they will be very clunky and programmed badly, since the company cant possibly have had the ability to program hundreds of different powers effectively and with a lot of attention to detail.

  Now, apparently there will be at least 750 unique combinations, but when you realise how quickly combinations build up, thats not necessarily as much as it sounds. Say you have 10 abilities, and 4 ability slots. Combining those ten abilities  into different combinations of four could actually amount to a LOT of combinations – I cant say I’ve worked out the exact figures but 10 abilities could account for more than 40 combinations. Not necessarily as much as it sounds, in perspective.

• The open world gameplay – sure, I’m sure itll be a nice big area, but will there be anything to do? People who have played games such as Spiderman 3 will know that even though a map is big, its not necessarily interesting – what will there be to do? What will there be to find? Personally, as much as I like the idea of free roaming, the world needs to be more than a static open arena with nothing to do but fight – for as with real life, theres more to do in the streets than attack people and steal their DNA. You can supposedly shapeshift into civilian disguises, so what can we do whilst acting “normal” other than walk around without getting attacked?
• Open ended story – now this we don’t know much about. This could be the make or break of the game – apparently as you absorb abilities you find things out, supposedly some sort of conspiracy behind everything. I cant say much about it – but all I can say is that open ended stories often suffer from loss of detail, and missions that are impersonal to your game as to incorporate it into the story no matter which path you take.

Now, by saying these things I’m not saying the game is doomed – I’m simply saying that the game claims it can do a lot, but taking on the sheer amount of things they say it can could likely mean that other aspects of the gameplay have taken a back seat, and we could be left with an open world killing generic enemies and doing nothing else.

Now, that was the “worst case scenario” view. But now let’s look at the positives. Believe it or not, I’m actually getting a bit excited for this game.

I love the idea of free roaming and running amok – as much as the Spiderman games managed to get boring, there was something satisfying about traversing a city with superhuman powers.  I believe at one point I even saw a clip where you could fly – sounds pretty cool to me, the possibilities are amazing – you could swoop down, grab an unsuspecting enemy and take him to the skies, forcing him to give you information or threaten to let him plummet to his death – or use stealth to break into the enemy base, assassinate their leader and watch them all go into disarray as their organised system collapses – perhaps assume the identity of the army general yourself and command the army to do your bidding. But at the moment thats all just me dreaming.

One aspect that does sound good is the fact that it has coop mode. Full 2 player coop mode allowing two prototypes to do everything together – personally this is something that really does appeal to me, this seems to be the kind of game that would incorporate this rather well, especially if you can customise yourselves to be essentially two unique entities with different powers – have one player wielding bladed hands, assaulting soldiers from the sky, whilst the other uses his powers to bludgeon tanks to death with his bare hands.

Hopefully we’ll see some decent missions in here – killing things is all well and good, but I’d like to see some variation. Perhaps chasing a helicopter through the city, or saving people from near death situations (if you so choose). The stealth aspect intrigues me greatly – I’ve seen plenty of clips of all out assaults, but I would love to see some missions where you can take down a squad in stealh, picking them off one at a time whilst remaining completely unseen, as they go about their business – not knowing you are there at all.

Apparently you *can* take the form of a higher ranked officer in order to access restricted areas, order soldiers to kill other soldiers (on grounds of blaming them to be Alex), or order some kind of airstrike – so this is a ray of hope, that hopefully will expand into a host of other special abilities depending on whose form you take. I have yet to see whether or not Alex has any type of gunplay skills when taking the form of a soldier or other armed characters, but that could be a nice touch.

So there you have it. Prototype looks interesting, and I’m actually rather looking forward to it, in the end if I can fly around a city, leaping from building to building and absorbing people for more powers it cant be a bad thing. Doubly so in two player co-op. I just hope that the game has some depth, and that the gaming gods havent handed this task to men who are not up to the challenge of building something so monumental.

-Leon